he Lockheed Martin C-130J is here at Farnborough at Outside Exhibit 15. The first CC-130J (the designation applied to USAF aircraft) in the Pentagon's multi-year-purchase (MYP) plan is now rolling down the production line. The 60-airplane, $4 billion order, signed in March 2003, included 40 CC-130Js—stretched versions of the aircraft—and 20 Marine Corps KC-130Js, and it underpins production at Marietta through 2009, currently running at 12 aircraft per year. The MYP also represents a renewed commitment to the CC-130J on the part of USAF Air Mobility Command, which had previously shown lukewarm enthusiasm and had put its efforts behind the C-17 and upgrades to the C-5 and older C-130s.
AMC plans call for about 100 more CC-130Js in addition to the aircraft already on order. Faster than older C-130s and with a greater cabin volume, the CC-130J is much more productive and will partially replace the C-141B Starlifter as those aircraft are retired.
Another important decision is expected soon, when the USAF announces which of three Air National Guard C-130J units—Maryland, Rhode Island or California—will be the first to deploy to Iraq. The deployment should take place in December, and will mark the end of a long period of developmental testing. The USAF aircraft will have flight management software compatible with Global Air Traffic Management (GATM) standards and a defensive aids suite, not provided for in the original contract.
The Marine Corps is close to completing its full operational evaluation of the KC-130J tanker and its Cobham/Sargent-Fletcher refueling pods, and is expected to declare the tanker operational this month. Also starting operations is the U.S. Coast Guard, which has deployed its first two HC-130J search, rescue and logistics aircraft to Alaska.
The Royal Air Force—which bore the brunt of sorting out the C-130J's early problems—has now notched up well over 50,000 hours on its 25 C-130Js, including operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. The type gained full clearance for tactical operations early last year, and on some missions into Afghanistan in hot-and-high conditions proved that it could handle 80% more payload than the RAF's earlier C-130K.
Italy takes delivery of the last of its 22 well-equipped, well-defended C-130Js this year, and has also been well ahead of the United States in deploying the aircraft overseas in support of Middle East operations. Overall, says Lockheed Martin, the C-130J fleet has been attaining an airline-like 98% dispatch reliability and an "almost unimaginable" 1.7 maintenance man-hours per flying hour. Operators are also finding that its greater speed makes both aircraft and crews more productive and makes scheduling easier.
The C-130 marks the 50th anniversary of its first flight on August 23. The first two YC-130s were built by the Skunk Works in Burbank, and the program was transferred to Marietta in the following year—placing the C-130 second only to the Beech Bonanza in production longevity in a single location. Lockheed Martin Corp. is at Chalet D10-11 and OE15.
